Casinos are advised to implement social distancing and hygiene measures to ensure customer safety

As casinos resume operations at different parts of the world, the authorities provide guidance and safety advice to help protect customers and staff amidst the global pandemic. Gaming providers must collaborate with national, territorial, and local health officials as to implement measures that are acceptable, practical, and feasible and meet the needs of local communities. Risk should be carefully measured by type of activity, from lowest to highest.

Low Risk

Activities that carry the lowest risk include games offered in a virtual format or online. Platforms featuring games like roulette, blackjack, or togel online are safe for players during the Covid-19 pandemic.

More Risk

Reopening casinos carries more risk but they can still resume gaming operations provided that limitations are in place to allow for disinfection and social distancing. Only activities involving equipment and gaming machines are permitted and not games that require a dealer. Customers are not allowed to share equipment and gaming materials such as cards.

High Risk

Risk is higher when casinos are allowed to resume operations with limitations to social distancing only. The same holds for gaming activities that involve more players or require a dealer. In this case, casinos must limit the number of players allowed. Casinos must also limit the use of gaming materials such as toxe boxes, blackjack discard holders, pit podiums, Pai Gow tiles, roulette wheels, shufflers, card shoes, and dice. These materials should be disinfected and cleaned between uses. The sharing of objects that are hard to disinfect and clean must be limited, including cards. They must not be used for 72 hours to ensure they are safe to reuse.

Highest Risk

Allowing gaming operations and casinos to reopen at full capacity carries the highest risk. Also allowing games that involve multiple players and require a dealer has the highest risk level.  The same is true for sharing objects without disinfection and cleaning and not enforcing social distancing measures.

Recommendations for Casino Operations

Casinos are asked to implement respiratory and hygiene measures to ensure safety for customers and personnel. This includes hand hygiene after, during, and before using cards, tokens, and other surfaces and objects that are touched frequently. Personnel must either use hand sanitizer or wash hands with water and soap. Staff must ask and remind players to avoid touching their mouth, nose, and eyes to prevent infection. It is recommended that customers wear masks while at the casino, especially in situations when it is difficult to maintain social distancing. Casinos are also asked to provide information to players and personnel regarding hand hygiene and the proper washing, removal, and wearing of masks. Casinos must also ensure that cleaning supplies are available, including hand dryers, paper towels, soap, water, disinfectants, and foot pedal trash cans. Hand sanitizers must be placed at every table game or card table game, if possible.